Illuminated display sign



June 15, 1954 w. M. HARRIS v ILLUMINA'iED DISPLAY SIGN Filed Nov. 26,1952 INVENTOR. 77ZeZzLsh Warr diiorrggy Patented June 15, 1954 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 2,680,920 ILLUMINATED DISPLAY SIGN William MelishHarris, Greenwich, Conn. Application November 26, 1952, Serial No.322,660

2 Claims.

This invention relates to illuminated display or advertising signs, andparticularly of the type used in stores, on counters or capable of otheruses.

It is an object of the invention to provide a sign of this characterwhich may be easily assembled without the use of tools; in which thedisplay sheets or panels can be easily changed with a minimum of effort,and by which the display matter will be rendered easily readable andattractive.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a frameand means by which the same may be rested on, or attached to, a counteror other support; a removable illuminatin device is fitted within theframe, and facially opposed display panels are attached to the oppositesides of the frame and co'operate to form a lamp chamber between them,the several parts of the device being capable of ready assembly ordisassembly without the use of tools.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I havedevised the particular arrangement of parts to be described and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is disclosed, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of thesupporting frame for the sign;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line .22 of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the completed sign;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig.3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a face view of one of the display panels, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View, in section, of one of the side bars of theframe shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates the frame of the sign. The same isof conventional construction and frames of this character are widelyused in stores and other business places for the advertising ofmerchandise and for other purposes. Such frames usually contain one ormore sheets of cardboard bearin advertisin material or other indicia andare not illuminated. One of the objects of the present invention is toutilize a frame of this character play panels which will be The frame Iis shown as being substantially rectangular in shape, and includes anupper bar 2, a lower bar 3, and the vertical side bars indicatedrespectively at 4 and 5. The frame I is is attached to a post 9terminating in a base Illa upon which the sign is usually rested on acounter or other support. The vertical bar t is provided with a groove7; the bar 5 is provided with a groove 6, and the lower bar 3 isprovided with a groove 8, the several grooves 6, I and 8 usuallyco-operating in the reception and support of a display card that isslipped into these grooves by entry through a slot 22 formed through theupper bar I.

Mounted within the frame and extending across the same, and having threeof its edges received in the grooves 6, i and 8, is a cross member I iiin the form of a flat strip, which may be of metal or other suitablestiff and strong material. The strip Ill is placed in position by merelyinserting it at an angle within the frame and permitting it to drop downin the grooves therein and come to rest in the bottom groove 8,substantially as shown in Fig. 1. The strip I0 and the lamp socket I Isupported thereby can be similarly removed from within the frame Iwhenever desired.

The lamp socket II is supported in upright position by means of an anglebracket I2 attached to it, said bracket having its vertical leg securedto the strip I I] by rivets I 3 or equivalent fastening elements. Thesocket receives a lamp bulb I 4, preferably of the elongated type shown,and a current-carrying cord I5 is connected at one end to the socket andterminates at its other end in the conventional connection plug forattachment to an electric outlet to thereby illuminate the lamp.

The display sheets or placards are shown respectively at It and I1, andare similar in shape and are each adapted to be printed or otherwisereproduced with advertisin or display material. Each of these sheets ispreferably made of translucent plastic material or any other usabletranslucent material by means of which the advertising borne by thesheet will be enhanced or rendered brilliant by the projection of lightthrough the sheet. Each of the sheets It and I! is relatively stiff, butis capable of fiexure to permit of its insertion in the frame I, whichflexure will be maintained, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, while the sign isin its operative position.

The sheets I S and I i are preferably at least as long in one directionas the height of the frame I and are each somewhat wider than thedistance between the two vertical bars 4 and 5 of the frame. This causesthe sheets to assume the flexed condition shown in Figs. 3 and 4, whenthe opposite marginal edge portions 18 and iii of the sheets areinserted in the grooves 6 and l of the vertical bars l and 5. It will benoted that the corners of the sheets l6 and I! are notched or cut awayas indicated at 26 and this permits the upper and lower edge portions 23and 24 of sheets !6- and, ii to extendover and cover the upper and lowerbars 2 and 3 of the frame I. In fact, the sheets may be somewhat longerthan the height of the frame I if desired, and

these upper and lower edge portionsi23 and! of the sheets canrespectively extend above the top and bottom of the frame.

After the lighting unit, consisting of the, strip II), the socket H,lamp Hi and associated parts, has been inserted in the frame 5, as shownin Fig. 1, the display panels or sheets i6 and I1 are then insertedinthe frame; This is done;by;flexing;v each sheet and inserting itssideedges; L8 and ltrintothe-grooves fiend "i. Sincethe-sheets-;l6 andIT are of greater-width than-the distance between the vertical barsparent'that each sheet, after havingits-edges inserted in the grooves iiand ;'lwill remain, i-nathe outwardly bowed condition clearly seen inFig. 4. The tendency of the-sheets to straighten or flatten out-:wilLiof course; serve'to retain the same in place and-in the bowed conditiondescribed; in the frame.

3 :The two sheets 16;: and? If, in .the faciallydisposed position justdescribed, and illustrated: in Figs-n3. -and4,-thu stendto bow or bulgeaway fromrone' anothenand they thereby produce between: themacharnber'il in which the lighting unit is now;-housed. The bulge or-bowof the'two sheets. l5 and I! isrtpreferably sufficient to cause thesheets to-clearthe lamp- 14;- thus preventing them from being, burnedoroverheated "by con tacttherewith.

ItfWiH bG furthernoted that thelamp chamber ZLQproduced as abovedescribed, isopen at the top-and-bottom andthus ventilation for the lampisvassured.

From the foregoing, the usefulness of the described devicerwill bereadily apparent. The lighting 'unit. can be easily dropped intoposition in-the frame and connected to a source of elec' trical current;the sign sheets or placards: l6 and. l? can-be-placed inpositionand-aseasilyremoved by engaging or grooves 53 and Ltandthus a simple,well-illumimated-and attractive sign can be readil-y'produced to suit"the requirements 'of the user.

i'While Ilhave-herein stated that the sign shall be arranged with thevertical or side bars .4 and 5 engaging the edges of the sheets,theas'igncan be: arrangedat right angles to the position in t and 5', itwill be ;ap-'

disengaging them'withthe tially -rectangular which it is now shown. Thatis to say, the sign sheets as well as the ends of the strip It! mightengage in grooves provided in upper and lower bars of the frame and thechamber 2| would then be open at the ends of the frame rather than atthe top and bottom as now disclosed. Having described one embodiment ofthe invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restrictedthereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming'within thescope of-the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. An illuminated sign comprising, a substangrooved-edge frame, a crossmemberin theform of a strip extending across the-frame and-having itsopposite ends received inthe groove in tl e-frame, a

lamp socket mounted onand projecting upwardly from the strip, alampreceived in said socket, the lamp being surrounded by the frame, adisplay sheet of greater size inone direction than theframe-disposed-over one face of the frame, said sheet havingoppositeedge portions disposed inthegroove in the frame to cause said sheet toassume an outwardlybowed condition, a similar sheet arranged over-theopposite face of the frame, the twosheets co -operating in forming a'lamp chamber between them in which the lamp is located.

2.-An illuminated sign comprising; a frame having grooved parallelsidebars and upper and lower cross bars connecting the same, a pair'ofdisplay'sheets each having edges fitted in the grooves in the sidebars"and having portions extending over and covering the upper and lowercross-: bara the sheets being of such a'size relative to the-distancebetween the sidebarsthat saidsheets assume an outwardly-bowed conditionwhenfittedin'the grooves in said side-bars, the bowed sheetsdeflning achamber between located in said a chamber between the sheets; said crossmember ,being in the form-of a fiat strip-having a lower ,edge supportedby the lower cross-bar, said cross member having its ends-engaged in thegrooves in' the side bars, a lamp socket carried by the cross member andlocated in the chamber between the sheets said socket beingsecured atthe topjof the cross member and carrying a lamp.

References Cited in the fileQof-this patent UNITED. .sTATEs .APATENTS

